Here we go with the countdown of my favorite songs of 2012. I started off with about 220 candidates, then whittled it down to about 150 on the secondcut. I got it down to about 115 when it got real difficult. Nonetheless, Imanaged to settle on these 100 songs. Please let me know if you have trouble with any of these links.

#100. Comfortable-Ian Hunter

Let's start out smokin' with this raucous bit of pub-rock from the former frontman of the 70's glam-rock band Mott The Hoople. Nothin' fancy here, just some good old-fashioned meat and potatoes rock-n-roll.

This band made a little noise on the airwaves back in 1979 with their album "Present Tense". They've made a number of records since, but fell completely off the radar. They returned in 2012 with "Ignition", and as this track from that cd shows, they haven't lost their gift for melodic pop. This one may remind you of Fountains of Wayne.

This band joins Toad The Wet Sprocket on the short list of bands that took theirname from a Monty Python sketch. Musically, it goes from a standard pop song that really takes flight in the chorus, which sounds like something that The Association might have cooked up in the 60's.

Can't say I thought too much of Aerosmith's first album in 10 years, but I likedthis one, which is old-school Aerosmith and NOT crappy Alicia Silverstone videopower ballad Aerosmith. The album coulda used more tunes like these from the Boston bad boys.

This is a supergroup consisting of guitar wizard Joe Bonamassa, Vocalist/BassistGlenn Hughes (who joined Deep Purple with David Coverdale for the "Burn" and "Stormbringer" albums after Ian Gillan and Roger Glover left), Derek Sherinian (formerly of Dream Theater) on keyboards and Jason Bonham (son of the late Led Zeppelin drummer John, and seemingly at his young age has sat in with every bandcurrently in existence. This song sounds like a lost track from the "Houses of the Holy" or "Physical Graffiti" albums. EXTREMELY Zeppelin influenced.

Season 5 of "American Idol" remains, for me, the best ever. And even though I will never apologize for pulling for Taylor Hicks that season, I will admit thatthis guy here was probably the purest talent of the bunch. He lays down some mighty tasty soulful chops on this gospel-flavored midtempo workout.

With a voice that channels Lennon with a stuffy nose, I have been a fan of thisguy for a while now. Enough, in fact, to contribute to the Kickstarter campaignto get the album this track comes from, "Touchy/Feely", made. The download of the completed cd made it money well spent, indeed. The sweet-natured melody ofthis song hits my ears just right, and the video is a chuckle, to boot.

Green Day also returns to us with this stadium-ready anthem. In the chorus, whenBillie Joe sings "I'm wearing my heart..", I expect him to continue with "like a crown", as the lyrics and melody line of the first 4 words are an exact match forthat phrase in "The Great Pretender". Note: I linked to the You Tube video thatdisplays the lyrics rather than the official video, which if it didn't blur outthe "naughty bits", would definitely be R rated. The Boneys do not wish to offend those who may find the video sexist, immoral, objectifying of women, or extremely unrealistic because HE never had groupies that looked like that....

No, I wasn't kidding earlier this year when I said this album wasn't half bad.If this had been the followup to "Safety Dance" many moons ago, MWH would not beclassified (right or wrong) as a "one hit wonder". This is, dare I say it, a very pretty 80's style tune.

Pretty pretty ballad from the normally more rowdy Potter & company. I prefer this version with Chesney, which is actually a bonus track on the album, to the official hit version. It just sounds richer and has more impact. I'll post linksto both versions, however.

The first of 3 songs on our countdown for this multiple Grammy nominee, these guys also have reaped their share of Boneys. Those Grammy folks don't ALWAYS getit wrong. Well, other than the fact that those of us who bought their PREVIOUS album a couple of years ago might take issue with the best NEW artist nomination....

OK, this may be a little too sugary for some, and I'll admit that it's not toofar of a stretch to imagine it being sung by some Disney Channel-concoctedartist (in which case I'd likely have hypocritically bashed it), but it comes tous instead from Mr. Myrh, who was part of the Swedish power pop duo The Merrymakers, responsible for some awesomely tasty melodic pop in their day.This would've been a stone cold smash back in the early to mid 70's. This might put you in a sugar induced coma, but it's an irresistable slice of ear candy tome.

Quirky pop. Not the sort of thing I usually go for, but she hit the right spot with me on this, as she did with her previous hit "Lights". Haven't really caredfor much else I've heard from her, but I do like those two.

Reunited English band who were part of the new wave brigade in the late 70's/early 80's. Member Midge Ure was a prominent contributor to the Band Aid/"Do They Know It's Christmas" project. This is pure 80's here on this tune.

I could've done without the rap, of course (would you expect anything else from me?), but the melody is undeniable. THE ORIGINAL VERSION CONTAINS SOME NAUGHTY WORDS, AND NOT JUST IN THE RAP..right in the chorus as well. Therefore, I've chosen to link the "clean" version, which also takes out the rap, so as not to offend those offended by such things.

Add another to this list of accoustic instrument based groups who are gettingsome attention in the wake of Mumford & Sons' huge breakthrough. This one addssome electric instrumentation to the fiddles and mandolins and such, but it'sstill real musicians playing real music. Some fine male & female harmonizingas well on this folk/rock hybrid.

Even folks who don't like country seem to have a soft spot for Willie. He just has a way with a song. And he's the coolest old dude ever! Here's the first of two appearances for Nelson on the countdown, an easygoing ballad (a cover of a PEARL JAM song...again, how cool is Willie?) sung with son Lukas.

It's getting serious now, as into the Top 40 we go..(where's Casey Kasem when you need him....

#40. Demons-Imnagine Dragons

This band placed 3 songs on my list, ALL in the Top 40. Not bad. They like togo with those big, anthem-like choruses and this power ballad is no exception.Someone compared this song to Coldplay, and I'd say it's a fair comparison.

A couple of years ago on the Grammys there was a featured segment with two youngbands from the blossoming folk/alt. country revival, culminating in a performance by Bob Dylan. Mumford & Sons was one of those bands. This was the other. While the former has gotten a WHOLE lot of attention, the latter group should not be overlooked.Check out this lilting little melody. Fiddles, banjos, upright basses, and smiles!

An absolutely beautiful song that comes from a downloadable collection of tunesbenefitting Danbury Hospital in Connecticut, who are handling counsellingservices for those affected by the Sandy Hook tragedy. This singer/pianist, similar in style to the great Ben Folds although less quirky, deserves a much bigger audience...I've enjoyed most every piece of music I've heard by him (hissong "Snow Day", from a Christmas ep and about holidays when his grandma was still alive, pretty much breaks my heart every time I play it)..

One of those songs you couldn't escape if you listened or watched any sort of pop music radio or tv. Luckily I don't listen to much radio, so I never got theopportunity to get sick of this. Theatrical, big anthem choruses, multi-layered harmonies that carry a bit of a Queen-like texture...that's fun.'s stock in trade. Certainly in evidence here. SPOILER ALERT: We're not done having fun. in this countdown yet..

Somehow this manages to be stark and bleak, and bouncy and footstompy at the same time. Cellos & fiddles in the mix. Yes, this is part of that Mumford & Sons sound, but it also has its own flavor. They performed this on a recent "SaturdayNight Live" episode.

The sisters in this band have crafted a beautiful sound here..What a haunting melody here. Adding to the effect are ghostly harmonies and a lonely soundingviolin. Almost as if someone crossed the Wilson sisters of Heart with Enya.

A song made for strummin', pickin' & grinnin' on the front porch with a jug of moonshine. Clever lyrics. On this link, scroll down until you reach "listen to mint julep" and click on the play arrow. "Gone" is the first song onthe disc.

Well, here we go...the cream of the crop, the pick of the litter, the rice of the roni...my 20 favorite songs of 2012...

#20. Point of No Return-ELO

Jeff Lynne released two cd's at the same time in the fall of 2012. One was underhis name andcontained "ELO-ized" standards and oldies. The other was under the ELO moniker and featured some of ELO's biggest hits re-recorded by Lynne. That latter disc also included this brand new tune, which would not have been out of place on "A New World Record" or "Out of the Blue".

At this point there probably aren't too many who don't know this one. In fact, its ubiquity may have led to its ranking here instead of in the top 5, where I thought it might land when I first heard it. I think maybe I heard it one toomany times. Still, it IS good tune, and certainly different than the usual hitsong these days.

This is another cool anthemic tune. It's got a great big power chorusthat won't leave your head. Of course, it won't be long until we're sick to death of it when every sports program uses it for their profile pieces, highlight packages and promos (MLB Network is already on it). For now, I rather like it.

These guys scored big on the Boneys 2 years ago, and their followup cd, "Babel", is gonna do pretty well also. This another fine example of their unique blend of low key folk and bluegrass with high powered, dramatic rock sensibilities.

The best 1965 #1 record that isn't actually from 1965 and will never sniff thecharts. No kidding, this guy PERFECTLY captures the joy and innocence of the bestBritish Invasion music. The melody is achingly young and sweet.

The versatile Mr. Mars seems to be at home in just about any genre, which keepshis records from being repetitive and predictable. He takes a page out of theplaybook of The Police on this hit from his latest cd.

Don't get me wrong, I love the original version by Coldplay, but Willie justplain steals it from them with this awesome reading. Seriously, it sounds likeWillie has poured every pain, every regret he's ever had into his vocal. He doesn't just sing the lyrics, he LIVES them. An emotional, raw performance thattouched me deeply.

Made to coincide with the Beach Boys' 50th anniversary summer tour, the albumcontaining this title track showed us there was still some magic in there. Too bad it eventually and predictably blew up again when the equally predictableassholishness of Mike Love surfaced once more. Ah, but listening to this song, for a brief time it was the 60's again and, except for the unavoidable absence of Carl and Dennis, we were picking up those good vibrations, especially whenthey reach the chorus and those unmistakable harmonies soar into the heavens.

Winner of the most recent "American Idol" season. Honestly, I did not like this guy (or anyone else that season, really) and stopped watching. Therefore, I hadno idea this was him when I heard it playing on NBC's Olympic Coverage (wheneverthe female gymnasts were featured), nor that it was his "coronation" song (which traditionally sucks). Imagine my surprise on both counts. The topper was hearing Phillips distancing himself from it by saying it was not really his style or the type of song he would choose to record. Which explains why I like it so much, I guess.

I guess this would be my guilty pleasure song of the year. At least I know I'mnot alone. A guy I work with, whose musical tastes usually run to the liikes of Dylan and The Band, admitted to me that he loves this song. So what is it about this song? Are there evil subliminal messages compelling us to like it? Is it those wonderful staccato strings that punctuate in counterpoint to the singer? Or just a perfectly crafted pop tune? I only know that many many people you wouldn't think would like this song do, in fact, like it. Like it very much.

Just a couple of instruments, stomping feet and a great big singalong chorus made so that one fist can be raised in the air and the other can keep a grasp ona mug of beer was all it took to create this never leave your head tune. I hearthis song and I'm singing it the rest of the day..

...unless I hear THIS song, then I'm singing THIS the rest of the day. Probably the only vocalist who can use Autotune and not annoy me. I think it's because I saw the band perform live on tv so I know the guy can really sing, indicatingthat they use the Autotune for an effect, and not because they HAVE to in orderto stay in key. Anyway, this is another theatrical anthem with a shout it to theheavens chorus. As many times as I've heard it, I am not yet sick of it. Nothingtopped it in 2012 for me.

I didn't have a chance to listen to all of em that intrigued me, but I'll get there. Excuse me, I have to pull myself away from the computer before I go through the entire list . . .

_________________-- In Iroquois society, leaders are encouraged to remember seven generations in the past and consider seven generations in the future when making decisions that affect the people.-- America would be a better place if leaders would do more long-term thinking. -- Wilma Mankiller

Thanks T-Bone for taking the time to post all of those links!Here is the link to the Men Without Hats tune, (a trip back to the 80s indeed), as there was a duplicate link of the previous song.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lGfOZCjf6s

Holy crap! I wasn't counting, but I think I actually recognize about 8-10 of these, including several in the Top 20! Much better than last year's 1 or 2. Then again, in 2011 I was listening to a 90's station, and now I'm back to the variety station that picks up on the more popular songs of today....

I do appreciate anyone dedicated enough to anything to do a Top 100 list, let alone a yearly one!

*Whew!* I realized I hadn't put anything in the selection list during the Bored shutdown days, so I'm happy to see you have Next To Me on the list. The only drawback to it is how simplistic/repetetive the composition of the song is, but she sings the heck out of it.

And her name is really Adele! I guess she had to go with her middle name to avoid confusion, huh...

I had heard a song that was so grating to my ears I had to turn it off any time it came on, and was shocked to see it was nominated for a couple Grammys! I just can't listen to "Adorn"--it's nails on a chalkboard bad to my ears!

The bad news is I only know 26 of them. The good news is I know 13 of the top 20! My favorite song of the year is there (A Team), along with those fun. songs that I thought were only I and a bunch of teenage girls liked, but I guess I'm wrong!

I had heard a song that was so grating to my ears I had to turn it off any time it came on, and was shocked to see it was nominated for a couple Grammys! I just can't listen to "Adorn"--it's nails on a chalkboard bad to my ears!

I liked Black Keys, but nothing made the final cut. Perhaps I'll post a few more tunes that just missed the boat. I figger these are more than enough to digest for now...

If you happen to listen to #45 (What You Do To Yourself), please tell me (if you can) who his voice reminds you of. I do hear some Eric Carmen in there, but that is not the name that's on the edge of my brain and the tip of my tongue.

If you happen to listen to #45 (What You Do To Yourself), please tell me (if you can) who his voice reminds you of. I do hear some Eric Carmen in there, but that is not the name that's on the edge of my brain and the tip of my tongue.

It's been driving me batty...

Rooney?

_________________If you fail to pilot your own ship, don't be surprised at what inappropriate port you find yourself docked. - Tom Robbins--------At the moment of commitment, the universe conspires to assist you. - attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

If you happen to listen to #45 (What You Do To Yourself), please tell me (if you can) who his voice reminds you of. I do hear some Eric Carmen in there, but that is not the name that's on the edge of my brain and the tip of my tongue.

It's been driving me batty...

Rooney?

That's not the name I was trying to pull, but I will have to go check my Rooney cd's just in case. Thanks, Skoop!

If you happen to listen to #45 (What You Do To Yourself), please tell me (if you can) who his voice reminds you of. I do hear some Eric Carmen in there, but that is not the name that's on the edge of my brain and the tip of my tongue.

It's been driving me batty...

Rooney?

That's not the name I was trying to pull, but I will have to go check my Rooney cd's just in case. Thanks, Skoop!

It's more the instrumentation than the vocal that sounds like Rooney, so let us know if you think of the voice. I'll do more listening in a day or two, after school gets caught up.

_________________If you fail to pilot your own ship, don't be surprised at what inappropriate port you find yourself docked. - Tom Robbins--------At the moment of commitment, the universe conspires to assist you. - attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

His voice sounds like any number of 70s schmaltz-pop types, including Randy Van Warmer, Christopher Cross, and What's his name that John Belushi smashed the guitar of in Animal House.

Don't think those are what you're looking for, since he still sounded more like Eric Carmen than anything to me, but I'll keep thinking.

_________________The real question of government versus private enterprise is argued on too philosophical and abstract a basis. Theoretically, planning may be good. But nobody has ever figured out the cause of government stupidity—and until they do (and find the cure), all ideal plans will fall into quicksand. -- Richard Feynman, "What do you Care what other People Think?"

His voice sounds like any number of 70s schmaltz-pop types, including Randy Van Warmer, Christopher Cross, and What's his name that John Belushi smashed the guitar of in Animal House.

Stephen Bishop

Quote:

Don't think those are what you're looking for, since he still sounded more like Eric Carmen than anything to me, but I'll keep thinking.

Thanks. I dunno, maybe it IS Eric Carmen, but I can't think of the specific song that is at the back of my brain. I know there's a specific note phrase that is clawing at me, what this guy's voice matches perfectly. At some point I'll hear it, or it'll just spring into my brain more likely, and I'll shout out "eureka!!!"...undoubtedly at the most inopportune time possible

This is not the answer you are looking for, but the first two songs on Blair Gilley's EP sound a LOT like ........ James Durbin, AI 4th place finisher three years ago. The later songs don't sound like him, but I could totally hear Durbin in those first two. For what that's worth.

The rest of the scorecard:

After skipping and tripping through the Boneys, I bought 7 albums off the albums list (already had 5 and knew I wouldn't like one), and from the singles list:

3 singles (2 by Green Day + Phillip Phillip's Home, which somehow I had not yet bought) 2 EPs (Two Sheds Jackson, Blair Gilley)3 albums (Keane, Ultravox, which reminds me in a good way of Pet Shop Boys, and Paper Route)one single I can't find on iTunes, by Coin - pretty good haul!

_________________If you fail to pilot your own ship, don't be surprised at what inappropriate port you find yourself docked. - Tom Robbins--------At the moment of commitment, the universe conspires to assist you. - attributed to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.